The end of congregational singing

That was the topic in the briefing magazine this month. It was looking at whether congregational singing is dying.

It would be a tragedy if it were to die because it is a Biblical response to God. The Old Testament is full of examples of God's people bursting into song in response to a fresh recognition of the wonder of God or as a result of his actions on their behalf. Move into the New Testament and song continues to be an important part of Jesus life with his disciples and in the early church.

It is not the bread in the church service sandwich - to limit ourselves to such use of song is to miss the point. Singing is where we remind one another in song of the truths of God and his salvation history. It is where we sing of our need of God to help us in times of trouble, it is where we remind one another of the unshakable Sovereign God whom we serve. Like the Psalms it is where we express in emotion our theology and experience of God and his grace.

It would be a tragedy to see congregational singing die. we would be spiritually impoverished for its loss.